The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has reportedly pulled out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), a week after party chief and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu announced his decision to exit the central government over the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh.
Following Chandrababu Naidu's tele-conference with party members, TDP pulls out of NDA.
— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2018
The TDP has 16 MPs in the central government, and the news agency ANI said the TDP may also pass a no-confidence motion against the Centre. By doing so, it would be lending support to the no-confidence motion against the NDA moved by rival Andhra Pradesh party, the YSR Congress.
File image of Chandrababu Naidu and Narendra Modi. PTI
Last week, the TDP decided to call the Centre's bluff over the issue of special status and said it was pulling its ministers out of the NDA government. P Ashok Gajapati Raju and YS Chowdary, two TDP ministers quit the NDA last week over the special status issue. They reportedly submitted their resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi citing "unavoidable circumstances".
Later, Naidu told the media that he has exited the government but he will give more time to the Modi government to reconsider its decision on the special status for the state.
But the passing of the Finance Bill on Tuesday meant the issue was decisively settled, and when YSR Congress moved its no-confidence motion, the TDP was left with no option but to support this.
A report on News18 said that Naidu had been speaking to Mulayam Singh Yadav of Samajwadi Party and BSP supremo Mayawati in a bid to forge new alliances.
The SP-BSP combine had successfully come together to defeat the BJP in by-elections to Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
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Published Date: Mar 16, 2018 10:01 AM | Updated Date: Mar 16, 2018 10:01 AM